The UKHTTC Roster Lowdown Part 4: the DBs

Over the coming weeks, UKHTTC founder, Christian Burt, will take a positional group each blog and give a broad overview and grade of their NFL win-level readiness and what could go right or wrong.

Welcome to blog five of The Roster Lowdown as we focus on what appears to have gone from a long-standing weakness to one of potential strength: the defensive backs group in D.C.

The burgundy and gold DB unit were clearly viewed by the Commanders Front Office, as part of the 2022 season review, as an area of the roster than needed more impactful players.

Subsequently, in the 2023 Draft, Washington took CB Emmanuel Forbes Jnr at pick 16 and then surprisingly double-dipped for the backfield with S Jartavius Martin in round 2. Forbes Jnr is a legitimate game changer with big play abilities, which the Front Office had identified as an area of weakness for the Commanders.

Despite some question marks over his size, Forbes Jnr has already evidenced a no-fear approach to tackling in pre-season to allay some of those concerns.

Forbes Jnr will give Washington a real ball hawk at the RCB position for many years to come. During the shared practice with the Ravens, we also witnessed some excellent shade talking from Emmanuel; this is a young man who is supremely confident in his ability to match up with any WR in the National Football League.

There has been some discussion that the Commanders would have been better taking an OL guy in R2 of the draft, but for me, stick to the board and the scouting. Jartavius ‘Quan’ Martin is likely to be eased into playing time, potentially as a Nickel behind Benjamin St Juste in the pecking order, but has the versatility to play CB and SS.

A patchy pre-season set of performances from Quan is no major cause for alarm (yet), but we might see more of a jump from Martin in ’24.

The leader in the backfield for the Commanders is SS Kamren Curl.

Taken in the seventh round of the 2022 Draft, Curl has totally outplayed his draft position and has looked stronger each year in the NFL.

A high-IQ Safety who excels via his all-round play; Washington need to be writing up a long-term contract for a player who is scheduled to be a UFA in 2024. This should be a no-brainer at $12-15m average a season and it does worry me slightly that Quan might have been selected a round early as a safety blanket for the S position from ’24 onwards.

Veteran Kendall Fuller is a CB who tends to get better as a season progresses and provides leadership and, in general, savvy play for the Commanders. Fuller will likely start the season on the opposite side of Forbes Jnr and there is the likelihood that ’23 will be the last in the burgundy & gold for the 29-year-old.

You would expect Benjamin St Juste, with his size and athleticism to be pushing hard for the starting LCB spot and it’ll be interesting as to whether St Juste or Fuller predominantly occupy the slot CB role.

Darrick Forrest Jr will be next to Curl in a standard base Defense formation after breakout year in 2022. Forrest might not be an ultra-smooth DB, but he is explosive and physical and, like the general vibe of the Del Rio backfield; he is fast.

Of the others, Percy Butler is another fast and physical Safety in the Forrest mould who might also make a significant jump in 2023, fan favourite Jeremy Reaves is Pro Bowl special teamer and CB Danny Johnson is a reliable (fast) CB who stands at just 5ft9.

In the final analysis

The veterans on the roster will be well-versed with the Del Rio Defense.

Taking Forbes Jnr raised a few eyebrows due to his size, but Emmanuel is already quietening those doubts in pre-season.

The unit has off-the-scale playmaking potential and is fast and explosive. Is there an absolute stud athlete No Fly Zone guy on the roster? Maybe not, but overall, this young dynamic group are one of the stronger areas of the 2023 Commanders roster.